A new path for you

Gentler cardiac catheterization

 

A brand-new approach to performing catheterization procedures has come to Deborah Heart and Lung Center’s catheterization lab, revolutionizing the way patients receive diagnostic care. The new radial artery approach threads a cath line to a patient’s heart through the artery in the wrist instead of in the groin, as has been traditionally done for years. This new approach greatly improves patient comfort, reduces patient risk, shortens recovery time and allows for quicker patient discharge.

With the wrist
Catheterization is a key diagnostic tool in cardiac assessment. Traditionally, a line is threaded through the femoral artery in the groin and up into the heart, requiring patients to lie flat for several hours, and remain level and immobile for some time after the procedure.

Although considered very safe, there is some risk of bleeding. The new radial artery approach—threading a catheter through an artery in the wrist—removes the need for hours of immobility and greatly reduces bleeding risk.
“We’re one of the first in the area to perform radial artery procedures,” says Kintur Sanghvi, M.D., a cardiac interventionist with Deborah’s catheterization lab and Endovascular Medicine Department. “We’re ahead of the curve because we have the skills needed for this procedure.
Although more interventional cardiologists are training in this approach, it’s still a more technically challenging procedure with a much longer learning curve.”  

An individual decision
Not every patient is a suitable candidate for wrist catheterization. The decision to offer the procedure is up to each patient’s physician and is based on a variety of factors and each patient’s individual medical condition. Those patients who are recommended for and receive this procedure will see immediate benefits, including fewer complications, less bleeding and quicker recovery time (patients can walk almost immediately after their procedure). Many patients are discharged quickly, sometimes in as few as 90 minutes.
            “One of the distinguishing hallmarks of this program is that we’re performing almost all types of procedures through the radial artery, including emergency care during heart attack,” notes Dr. Sanghvi. “We also perform peripheral procedures like kidney artery and subclavian stenting through this approach.
“This procedure is a great benefit to those patients who can’t lie flat for long hours, for example those with back pain issues, emphysema and congestive heart failure,” adds Dr. Sanghvi.
Deborah patient Donald Monteleone, who has had both the groin- and radial-artery approach catheterizations, appreciates the new procedure. “I have a bad back and it’s hard to lie still for very long,” he says. “I was really satisfied with the radial artery approach.”  §

Can you benefit?
To learn more about radial artery catheterization, call 1-800-555-1990 or visit us at www.deborah.org.